Take A Bow
by KristinaDelRossiCullen
Summary: Craig's sorry. Ashley's not interested. Take a Bow by Rihanna.


"Ash! Ash, I'm sorry! Please!" Craig banged pounded on Ashley's door. She thanked God her parents were out of town, and Toby was at the Yorke's.

_Oh, how 'bout a round of applause? Yeah_

_A standing ovation?_

_Whoa, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah._

She swung the door open, surveying him coolly as her stood in her doorway, tears rolling down his face.

"Ashley. Please. Give me another chance! It was a bad decision! I'm sorry!" He begged, throwing her a pleading look.

She glared at him, disgusted.

_You look so dumb right now._

_Standing outside my house._

_Trying to apologize, you're_

_so ugly when you cry, please_

_Just cut it out._

"Ash, I'm--" She cut him off.

_Don't tell me you're sorry cause you're not_

_Baby, when I know you're only sorry you got caught_

_But you put on quite a show_

_Really had me going_

_Now it's time to go_

_Curtains finally closing_

_That was quite a show, _

_Very entertaining_

_But it's over now_

_Go on and take a bow_

"Craig, do me a favor? Cut it out. You're not sorry. You weren't sorry when you did it, and you're not sorry now. Just leave." She hissed, standing tall, refusing to let tears loose.

"Ash--" He took a step forward, his eyes pleading, begging for her to understand. She turned her head.

"I said _leave_." She insisted forcefully, and slammed the door in his face, leaving him shocked and heartbroken, breathing deeply, squeezing back hot, threatening tears. He was a dick. And she was above him.

**The next day at school**

Ashley tore down the picture of her and Craig, leaning against each other, tilting electric guitars, laughing. She ripped it in half...fourths...eighths...

"Ash?" A tentative voice came from the other side of her locker door. She slammed it shut, twirling the lock in her hand, her face assuming a stony expression.

"What could you possibly want now Craig?" She snapped.

He ran a hand through his curly mop of dark hair. "I-I just came for my, you know, my stuff."

She opened her locker again. Craig peered inside. There was no sign of his old leather jacket, his T-shirt she'd begged to have, the teddy bear he'd won for her, or the box with the ring he'd bought for her inside.

He turned to her questioningly. She lazily leaned against a locker, and jabbed a thumb towards the front door, where a crowd was steadily gathering.

He hurried to the door, cautiously taking a few steps outside, and his eyes widened when he saw what everyone was laughing at. All of his stuff, the stuff he'd given to Ashley, was scattered across the lawn.

He glanced over his shoulder and found she'd moved next to him. "You'd better get your crap, the sprinklers start at 8:30 sharp." She said coldly, turning without another glance. He grabbed her shoulder.

_Grab your clothes and get gone. _

_You better hurry up, fore the sprinklers come on._

"Wait! I love you, Ash. Please, your the only one from here on out! Forever!"

She snorted and rolled her eyes, turning away. "Cause I haven't heard _that _before." She muttered bitterly.

_Talkin' bout girl I love you, you're the one_

_This is just like a re-run, please_

_What else is on?_

"Ashley! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm _sorry_! How many times do I have to say it for you to forgive me?" He demanded, a hint of desperation in his voice, as it cracked.

She whirled. "Shut up, Craig! You're not sorry! The only thing you're sorry for is the fact that you got caught! You can say it until you're blue in the face, but I won't forgive you until you _mean it_, Craig Manning !" She shouted, stalking away angrily.

_And don't tell me you're sorry, cause you're not_

_Baby, when I know you're only sorry you got caught_

"Ash, I just can't believe he did that!" Paige said for the millionth time. "But, hon, do you really have to be so brutal? I mean..."

Ashley said sharply, "Yes, Paige, I do. Because Craig's the world's best actor. He convinced everyone including myself, that he was the perfect boyfriend. All this time its been an act. He's not sorry." She shook her head, glaring as Craig walked in besides Spinner and Jimmy.

_But you put on quite a show_

_Really had me going_

_But now it's time to go_

_Curtains finally closing_

_That was quite a show_

_Very entertaining, _

_But it's over now_

_Go on and take a bow._

Mr. Simpson walked in, turning to write something on the board. Craig remained standing, talking in a low voice to Spinner, and Mr. Simpson turned around, looking sternly at the talking boys.

"Hey guys? Hi, I'm Archie Simpson, I'll be your teacher today. Welcome to class...wanna take your seats?"

Craig mumbled an apology, and before he could sit, Ashley said, "Careful, everyone. Craig might try to take your chair along with his. One's never enough for him." She smirked, as the class exploded with laughter, and Craig's ears turned red.

"That's enough, Ms. Kerwin." Mr. Simpson threw her a stern looked and continued his notes on the board.

Spinner's cell phone suddenly fell out of his pocket, onto the floor, making a loud clattering.

Craig picked it up, and whispered to Spinner, "Sick phone. Way better than mine, Spin."

Ashley, having overheard their conversation, leaned over and said at full volume, "I'd be careful, if I was you, Spinner. Craig might take your phone and use it from time to time. He has a knack for switching on and off."

At this, Craig leapt to his feet, shoving away his chair angrily.

"Waht else do I have to do! I said I was sorry!" He yelled.

Ashley stood swiftly and shouted back, "Yeah, and you _definitely _meant it! Without a doubt!"

"Ashley, if you don't stop harrassing me, I swear I'll--" She cut across him, "Do what? Have sex with more grade nines?"

"Shut up!" He yelled, slamming his fist down on the table, advancing towards her. "I'm sorry! I'm truly sorry, Ashley, I don't know what else to do! It was a mistake! It won't happen again!"

Fire flashed in her eyes dangerously, and she was virtually nose to nose with Craig, refusing to back down. "The only thing that will never happen again is me trusting your sorry lying self! Trusting you to only have one girlfriend!"

_Ohhh and the award for the best liar goes to you_

_For making me believe that you could be_

_Faithful to me, lets hear your speech, ohh_

"That's enough!" Mr. Simpson bellowed. "Save it for Dr. Phil, you two! Take down your notes."

_How bout a round of applause?_

"Ms. Kerwin, see me after class."

Ashley rolled her eyes.

_A standing ovation._

Ashley felt like puking all over their smiley, happy-go-lucky, lovey-dovey atitudes towards each other. It was sickening. Sorry? Okay.

He was dating Manny now.

Dating the girl he'd cheated with.

_But you put on quite a show_

_Really had me going_

_Pregnant._ That word rung in Ashley's head. He'd gotten her pregnant. By cheating with her. It was nauseating. _He _was nauseating.

_Now its time to go_

_Curtains finally closing_

She'd never felt more satisfied, humiliating Craig and Manny Santos in front of all of those people. It was refreshing, and felt sweet.

Mostly because she was over and done with Craig Manning. Her only goal was to hate him with every fiber of her being.

_That was quite a show_

_Very entertaining_

_But it's over now_

It was over now. The whole relationship. The _lie _of a relationship. His acting, his pretending she was his "one and only". She hoped he was happy.

_Go on and take a bow._

Because she was more miserable than anyone, especially him, would ever know.

_But its over now._


End file.
